RE: Someone explain to me our affinity for sugar in relation to evolution

On a related note, does anyone think it's feasible that we will eventually evolve to love our fruits and veggies more than sugars, given that we continue to live in an environment where sugar is readily available?

It seems that by the time poor nutrition has taken effect, people have already had their children, so I don't see how we could evolve away from that.

RE: Someone explain to me our affinity for sugar in relation to evolution

I watched a ted talk about how taste works. It was fascinating.

Essentially our bodies crave certain nutrients and things to keep ourselves functioning properly. The enjoyment of taste came after the realization that the food in question provided our bodies with the required nutrients. This way we could crave flavors which were easier for us to identify. We needed certain sugars, we knew where to find them. We didn`t know why we craved them, only that we really really did.

Now a days we can basically make food taste however we want. So we've found the flavors that our brains remember to be the most fortuitous in the survival department, and we've copy pasted them into other food. We crave this food because it tastes the same as something else, but this replacement junk food doesn't actually contain the nutrients our bodies need, so we don't satisfy our cravings, so we eat more of it as we still crave that same flavor. Then we get horrendously over weight like I'm getting

RE: Someone explain to me our affinity for sugar in relation to evolution

(18-02-2012 07:49 PM)Ben Wrote: On a related note, does anyone think it's feasible that we will eventually evolve to love our fruits and veggies more than sugars, given that we continue to live in an environment where sugar is readily available?

Doesn't require evolution, just conditioning. Gave up sugar (including fruit) completely 5 years ago when I got the Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Only took a couple of weeks before my sweet tooth was completely gone. Don't miss it at all. Makes it easy to enjoy my healthy 85-100% dark chocolate and green vegetable juices.

(18-02-2012 12:28 PM)Chesstime Wrote: Who told you sugar was unhealthy? That is a mistake.

Tell it to my pancreas.

(18-02-2012 05:44 PM)kim Wrote: What? You're full of shit; I love carrots. I'd rather eat a whole pot of cooked carrots than a chocolate bar. ...
We'll call them the carrot eaters.

Carrots taste too sweet to me.

As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.

RE: Someone explain to me our affinity for sugar in relation to evolution

Its because our cells use the breakdown of glucose as their primary fuel source, in the form of ATP. Eating foods high in sugar is an instant source of energy,(you also get it from fatty foods). You don't get that same feeling from eating proteins because, very little protein is actually used as fuel,, unless you are dieing of starvation and have used up your bodies stores of glucose and fats.

Glucose is also absorbed rapidly in the intestines, whereas protein needs to be broken down to amino acids to be absorbed, which requires energy.

Access to the instant energy sugar provides is more beneficial for survival than something that takes more time and energy to gain energy from.

(18-02-2012 07:49 PM)Ben Wrote: On a related note, does anyone think it's feasible that we will eventually evolve to love our fruits and veggies more than sugars, given that we continue to live in an environment where sugar is readily available?

It seems that by the time poor nutrition has taken effect, people have already had their children, so I don't see how we could evolve away from that.

We have evolved to love fruits and veggies they are the primary source of the carbohydrates our bodies use as fuel.

Its just we are consuming more foods that are artificially high in sugars which will naturally seem appealing to us.